To keep your dog healthy, you really need to look at the dog food you are feeding. You need to understand a dog’s particular nutritional requirements and how to address them.

If your dog does not get the proper nutrients from his food, the result can be stunted growth, shortened lifespan, and a greater susceptibility to illness and allergies.

Dogs, like any other animal, need five basic nutrients to survive: protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients provide different functions and are necessary to sustain the health and well-being of your pet.

Proteins consist of amino acids and are the building blocks of your dog’s health. Although some of these amino acids can be synthesized by the dog, not all are. That is where your dog’s food come into play – they must contain the essential amino acids that the dog cannot produce.

You need to make sure your dog food has an adequate amount of protein, mainly made up from animal, not grain, sources. But like all things, too much is not good and can lead to obesity (since protein that is not used is converted to fat) and has been linked to temperament problems in dogs.

Fats are used to deliver other nutrients to the body as well as a source of energy. So much bad press about fats in diets has most of us thinking to avoid them as much as possible. But this is not true. Fats are necessary in diets, for both humans and their canine companions. It’s the kind and amount of fat that can lead to health problems and obesity. Your dog needs the correct fats for proper kidney function, to transport fat-soluble vitamins to cells, and for a healthy skin and coat.

Carbohydrates are nutrients which are converted into energy for your dog. The best source of carbs for your dog are whole grains as they have the most nutrients still in them. Inferior dog foods will use grain by-products (left-over parts from other food processing) which tends to boost carb and protein ratios, but really has very little nutritional value for your dog. These grain by-products are also common allergy triggers for dogs. Look for minimal grain by-products in your dog food, and if your dog has allergies, stay away from common allergy triggers such as corn, wheat, and soy.

Vitamins and Minerals are the last area of necessary nutrients for your dog. These should be supplied naturally through your dog food. However, some dog foods will need to add in a lot of vitamins and minerals because they get destroyed in the manufacturing process of the food. But these vitamins and minerals will start to diminish in both quality and quantity the longer the bag of food is opened – so you won’t get as much by the bottom of the bag as you do when you first open it. To ensure optimal health for your dog, you should provide a specially formulated vitamin supplement.